Public spending is critical in providing the essential foundations for economies to develop and societies to thrive – foundations such as education, health care, protection from violence and social protection. These foundations are not only merit goods but also contribute to the realisation of human rights – rights that are increasingly under threat, especially for children, as governments around the world struggle to cope with the social and economic impacts of health, economic and climate crises.
This brief, primarily targeted for the SDG focal points in each country, discusses measurement of SDG indicator 1.b.1 and data collection challenges, and illustrates how data on pro-poor social spending can be analysed and reported.